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LIBRARY Q£ CO^'GRESS. 

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 




eaves of tbe Xotos 




EAVES OF THE LOTOS. 




Xeavcs of the Xotos 



BY 



/ 



DAVID BANKS SICKELS 



^ 



NEW YORK 

J. SELWIN TAIT & SONS 
65 Fifth Avenue 




K. 



OjO^ 



f5^ 



22^ 



s.u 



O 



Copyright, 1895 
By DAVID BANKS SICKELS 

yill Rights Reserved 



Contents, 



PAGE 

WHERE THE LOTOS GROWS ... 7 

THE JOY OF INDIA Q 

BEAUTIFUL SIAM I3 

ANGHIN 15 

CHULALONGKORN IJ 

EVERY DAY I9 

WHO KNOWS ? 22 

LORLE 25 

OLD FRIENDS 29 

WINNISOOK 31 

AFTER AWHILE . ^ . . . . 33 
IN MEMORIAM . '. . . , -35 

BABY RUTH 37 

SPRING ,39 

THE PEACE OF WINNISOOK . . . 41 

THEY ARE NOT LOST 46 

RUNNYMEDE 48 

THE AGE 50 

LINES WRITTEN IN AN ALBUM . . 57 

IN MEMORIAM — H, M. L 58 

MY ANGEL GUIDE 60 

SHE WORE THE FLOWER I GAVE HER . 62 

THE WINTRY DAYS ARE COMING , . 64 

THE HIDDEN HEART 66 

AT WINNISOOK 68 

TO MY WIFE 70 

THE RETURN 72 

LINES ACCOMPANYING A BIRTHDAY PRES- 
ENT 74 

THE UNDYING 76 

woman's LOVE 78 

THE PHANTOM 79 

THE BLAZER 81 



TO 

COLONEL THOMAS W. KNOX, 

whose genial nature and kindly acts have made 
his long-enduring friendship a priceless pleasure (as 
the dew and sunlight of the Orient enhance and 
enrich the beauty and fragrance of the Lotos), this 
little volume is dedicated by 

The Author. 




Mbete tbe Xotos (Brows. 

KIES are bluest, 
Hearts are truest, 

Life has fewest woes; 
Hopes are brightest. 
Toil is lightest. 

Where the lotos grows. 

Flowers are rarest, 
Maids are fairest. 

Friends outnumber foes; 
Years are fleetest. 
Love is sweetest, 

Where the lotos grows. 

Thoughts are purest, 
Faith is surest. 
Doubting never knows; 

7 



Wbexe tbe Xotus ©rows. 



Dreams are newest, 
Cares are fewest, 
Where the lotos grows. 

Life is longest, 
Ties are strongest, 

Passion finds repose; 
Friends are dearest, 
God is nearest, 

Where the lotos grows. 



Ube 50^ of UnMa. 




N mystic script the Devas 
told 
What time the life-creating 
light— 

The primal germ of immortality — 
Would burst upon a darkened world; 
How from the slumbering void con- 
cealed 
Beyoad great Meru's mighty mount, 
The Prince of Peace would come again, 
To sow anew the seeds of hope 
In hearts o'ergrown with weeds of woe. 

As storm-controlling Indra came 
To rule awhile the wayward winds, 
And drive Asura from his throne. 
That peace might reign again on earth: 
9 



^be 3os of flnMa. 



Siddartha, unrevealed to men, 
Descended from Tushita's heights 
To quench the fires of misery, 
And gladden all the peopled world. 

In fair Lumbrini's fragrant grove, 
Where Gunga's gracious waters flowed 
And mirrored nature's pageantry, 
The infant Lord immaculate was born. 
And every creature blest his birth. 
The Minah on the tufted tamarind 

perched, 
Proclaimed his joy with mimic speech, 
As willing winds a welcome sang; 
While Kalibinkas caught the strain 
And made their music everywhere. 

The lotos leaning on its wiry stem, 
Or pillowed on the placid stream, 

lO 



Q^bc 3^013 of llnOia. 



Awoke and ope'd its drowsy leaves. 
Mandaras, with their odors sweet 
Winged by soft monsoons, a greeting 

gave. 
The Poh tree with its burdened limbs 
Low-bending, grateful homage paid 
To him who once its ample boughs 
Had sheltered from the fiery blast 
Of typhoons born in tropic seas. 

The clouds that drifted down the sky 
Arrayed themselves in ruby robes. 
The moon outstretched its pearly arms 
To soothe awhile the restless sea; 
The stars burned brighter on Night's 

brow 
Than ever since Creation's dawn, 
And Nature's treasuries unlocked 
An undiscovered wealth outpoured. 
The sun, reburnished for the day, 
II 



G^be 5oB of IFnNa. 



Gilded anew the Prachadees, 

And marked his forehead with the sign 

Of kinship with Divinity. 

Then as his pilgrim footsteps pressed 
The alien soil of hostile climes, 
With fear the trembling Brahman saw 
The dreaded doom of creed and caste — 
The dawn of God's immortal love: 
While waiting nations knew their Lord, 
And Rajahs famed for pomp and power 
Cast all their sceptres at his feet. 



12 




^Beautiful Stam. 

EAUTIFUL Siam! Land of 
the free ! 
He who is greatest is smil- 
ing on thee — 
Smiling to-day on the king on his 

throne, 
Smiling and claiming the land as His 
own. 

Land of the lotos, and lily, and vine ! 
All that is fairest in Nature is thine: 
Riches unmeasured repose in thy soil, 
Waiting the touch of the finger of toil. 

Beautiful Siam! Slumber no more! 
Hear the deep beat of the sea on thy 

shore! 
Hear the loud winds that are calling to 

thee ; 

13 



Ji3eautiful Slam. 



Wake from thy slumber at last and be 
free. 

Peace through thy borders eternally 
reigns — 

Down in thy valleys and up on thy 
plains; 

In the broad fields where the paddy- 
plant grows — 

In thy rich gardens of lily and rose. 

Beautiful Siam ! Land of the free ! 
He who is greatest is smiling on thee — 
Smiling to-day on the king on his 

throne, 
Smiling and claiming the land as His 

own. 



14 




HE sea is calm and on this 
happy shore 
Sleeps pillowed as a babe 
on mother's breast 
In its unconscious purity. 
The winds that o'er it swept, 
And wrinkled its fair face — 
Prophetic of the stormy years of life 
That plow deep furrows in the heart — 
Have fled into their darksome caves, 
As in the direful days of old, 
When white-armed Juno's vengeful 

wrath 
Wreaked its wild fury on the Trojan 

ships. 
Here 'neath the shade of tropic trees 
That bend their budding branches low, 

15 



Bug bin. 

Submissive to the sway that Nature 

holds, 
And wooed by many a kissing breeze, 
We sit and watch the tiny craft 
Incoming with the flowing tide: 
As one who on the border-land 
Of youth's enchanted realm surveys 
Futurity's unmeasured depths; 
Or looking out on Life's uncertain sea, 
Expectant of the coming argosy, 
Rich-laden with its golden joys, 
Dreams of a promised bliss. 
Alas! the tide soon ebbs and darkness 

comes 
Apace with quick-receding sun; 
The Ruahs, dancing on the waves 
With bending oars and gleaming sails, 
Drift seaward from our sight. 
So from Life's fairest visions fade 
Our glory-gilded hopes. 
i6 



Cbulalonoftorn. 

OY to the king, Chulalong- 
korn ! 
Greet him from palace to 
port ! 
Welcome with loud-praising cannon 
Booming from vessel and fort. 




Welcome the king at his coming; 
Fling every flag to the wind ! 

Happy the ruled and the ruler- 
Kingly, but noble and kind. 



Birds in the bamboo branches 
Join in the welcoming strains; 

Welcome with warble and whistle 
Over the mountains and plains ! 

17 



Cbulalongftorn. 



Winds with your myriad voices, 
Welcome with zephyr and breeze; 

Welcome with roar of the tempest, 
Over the land and the seas. 

Stars in the luminous heavens. 
Circling the dark brow of night, 

Shine on the Menam's waters, 
Beaming with purest light. 

Flowers in the gardens and meadows, 
Brightest of colors display; 

Render your tribute of odors 
Unto the young king to-day. 

Joy to the king, Chulalongkorn ! 

Greet him from palace to port ! 
Welcome with loud-praising cannon 

Booming from vessel and fort. 

i8 




MID the tumult of the street 
And ceaseless tread of rest- 
less feet, 
What varied human forms 
we meet, 
Every day. 

Some burdened with unwhispered woe ; 
Sad secrets God alone can know ; 
We see them wandering to and fro, 
Every day. 

Some seared by time's decay or blight ; 
With furrowed brow and fading sight, 
Who haunt our feet from morn till night, 
Every day. 

Some swayed by passion deep and 
strong, 

19 



Enkindled by some burning wrong, 
Unheeded by the listless throng, 
Every day. 

The lust of power, the greed for gain, — 
Twin tyrants of the heart and brain — - 
We see the ruin of their reign. 
Every day. 

The crafty knaves that throng the street. 
Wearing the garments of deceit ; 
Who breathe to lie and live to cheat. 
Every day. 

And some aspiring to be great. 
With beaming eye and heart elate. 
Scorning the thorny thrusts of fate, 
Every day. 

The youth enthralled by some fond 
dream, 

20 



Bverg Bag. 

Or borne along on fancy's stream, 
Believing all things what they seem, 
Every day. 

The aged tottering toward the tomb, 
No light to lift their rayless gloom, 
Nor hope their weary way illume, 
Every day. 

The rich and poor, the old and young, 
With silent lip or fluent tongue. 
And griefs untold or joys unsung, 
Every day. 

Thus in the drama of the town. 
Some bear a cross or wear a crown 
Until death rings the curtain down, 
Every day. 




Mbo Iknows? 

(HO knows we have not lived 
before 
In forms that felt delight 
and pain ? 
If death is not the open door 
Through which we pass to life again ? 

The fruitful seed beneath the sod 
In infant bud and bloom may rise ; 

But by the eternal laws of God 
It is not quickened till it dies. 

The leaves that tremble on the tree, 
Fall 'neath the stroke of Autumn's 
storms ; 

But by some mighty mystery, 
With spring return in other forms. 

As currents of the surging sea 
From undiscovered sources flow, 



mbo Iknowe? 



So what we were and yet may be, 
In this brief life we may not know. 

But oft some unexpected gleams 
Of past and unremembered years, 

Break through the doorway of our 
dreams 
And some familiar face appears: — 

A kindred spirit lost awhile 

Amid the change from death to birth. 
Whose beaming eye and loving smile 

Recall some former scenes of earth. 

And thus unconscious of the tie — 
The mystic link that love creates — 

Perhaps we see our own who die, 
In newer forms and other states. 

Perhaps with every cycle passed 
Throughout the ages yet to be, 
23 



•CQlbo fjnows? 



Our own will come to us at last, 
As parted waters find the sea — 

Not wholly clad as they were seen 
When death unbound their robes of 
clay, 

But with seraphic face and mien, 
And souls that may not pass away. 



24 




HE bells in San Marino's 
tower 
Had sweetly chimed the 
vesper hour— 
As Benedictine monks and friars, 
With children led by pensive sires, 
And white-robed throngs of devotees, 
With bowed heads and bended knees — 
In blest accord intoned a prayer 
That rose like incense through the air. 

Within the grand cathedral's hall 
A solemn gloom hung over all ; 
As if some spectre, strange and dread, 
Had risen from the dusty dead, 
And by the mystic mien it bore 
Inspired a deep, religious awe. 

25 



Xorlc. 

Upon the altar there upraised 
The sacred tapers burned and blazed ; 
And high above the crown and pyx, 
Resplendent gleamed the crucifix ; 
While through the chancel-pane the 

light 
Of myriad stars shone clear and bright, 
As twilight's purple shadows fell 
On Alpine peak, in vale and dell. 

Long ere the prelate's moaning prayer 
Was wafted through the frosty air, 
Sweet Lorle came as oft before. 
And knelt beyond the opened door; 
But never since the vesper bells 
Rung out their strains in music swells. 
Was such a saintly smile and grace 
E'er seen in such a saddened face ; 
Yet those who know the unwhispered 
grief 

36 



Xocie. 

Of years that seem not few nor brief, 
Were fitted best to reason why 
Her faded cheek and cheerless eye. 

The wounds that love makes in the heart 
When pierced by its relentless dart ; 
The hopes long nurtured in her breast 
With thoughts the purest and the best ; 
The web of bliss that fancy wove 
On Alpine hill, in shaded grove, 
Or while beside the flowing Aar, 
With all the charms of Nature there — 
The memory of blissful hours, 
Of singing birds and fragrant flowers, 
Of softest sighs and truant tears. 
And whispers in her eager ears, 
The yearning eye, the warm embrace. 
The love-light shining on his face, 
And all the sweet romantic themes 
Inspired by love's seraphic dreams. 
27 



Xorle. 

Ah, yes ! 'tis well to brave the blast, 
When hope is flying at the mast, — 
To meet the foe on bloody field 
Undaunted, with the lance and shield; — 
To wait with slow-departing breath 
Unchanged the dreaded hour of death ; 
But what is youth when hope hath fled ? 
Or what is life when love is dead — 
When every glance of tender eye 
Recalls a blighted destiny? 



28 




®15 jfrten&s. 

IHERE are no friends like old 
friends, 
And none so good and 
true; 
We greet them when we meet them, 

As roses greet the dew; 
No other friends are dearer. 

Though born of kindred mold; 
And while we prize the new ones, 
We treasure more the old. 

There are no friends like old friends, 

Where'er we dwell or roam, 
In lands beyond the ocean, 

Or near the bounds of home ; 
And when they smile to gladden. 

Or sometimes frown to guide. 
We fondly wish those old friends 

Were always by our side. 
29 



©ID 3FrfenC)6. 



There are no friends like old friends, 

To help us with the load 
That all must bear who journey 

O'er life's uneven road ; 
And when unconquered sorrows 

The weary hours invest, 
The kindly words of old friends 

Are always found the best. 

There are no friends like old friends, 

To calm our frequent fears, 
When shadows fall and deepen 

Through life's declining years ; 
And when our faltering footsteps 

Approach the Great Divide, 
We'll long to meet the old friends 

Who wait the other side. 




1KIlinni500ft, 

BRANDLY these rock-bound 
mountains rise 
Above the vale and ar- 
rowy brook ; 
And canopied by radiant skies 

Look down on peerless Winnisook. 

Old Panther with his fir-crowned brow — 
The frowning walls of Overlook — 

With grandeur Nature's scenes endow, 
But charm us less than Winnisook. 

The wild cascade, the moss-grown ways, 
With arching vines that hang be- 
tween, 

Appear to our enchanted gaze 
Like pictures in a fairy scene. 

31 



imfnnleooft. 



Here cedar-leaf and hazel-bloom 
Imbue with balm the willing air ; 

And regnant peace forbids the gloom 
That haunts our visions everywhere. 

And here is greeting warm and true, 
With cheery word and merry shout; 

A sense of welcome comes to you 
From hand and heart you dare not 
doubt. 

Bright home, by bending boughs em- 
bowered, 
Half hidden in this highland nook, 
With Nature's richest treasures dow- 
ered; 
Who would not dwell at Winnisook? 



32 




FTER awhile, we often say, 
When shadows fall and 
clouds arise, 
There's sure to come a 
brighter day, 
With balmy air and sunny skies. 

After awhile, a day of rest 

Will come to worn and weary feet ; 
What seems the worst will prove the 
best. 

And bitter things be turned to sweet. 

After awhile, the aching heart 
Will find a cordial for its pain, 

And, as the flying da)^s depart, 
The joy of love will come again. 
33 



Bftcr Bwbllc. 



After awhile, the Right will reign, 
And conquered Wrong will lose its 
sway, 

While ancient Error's icy chain 
Will break and slowly melt away. 

After awhile, the clashing creeds 
That lead to strife and hate with men, 

Will yield to our superior needs. 
And love will prompt the lip and pen. 

After awhile, the golden hours 

Will come with life's supernal days. 

And higher thoughts and nobler powers 
Will lead us into grander ways. 



34 




Un /Iliemoriam. 

EW tread unscathed the fiery 
ways of life, 
And fewer win the laureled 
crown 
That decks the victor's brow. 
The blight, the mildew, and the blast 
Untimely came ; then ruthless winds 
Destroyed the budding leaves of hope. 
Like some stanch bark that braved the 

storm 
And ocean's rudest waves unharmed. 
Then changed its course to calmer seas 
And sank beneath their silent depths ; 
So, 'mid the toil and battle of the day, 
Unwearied and undaunted by the fray, 
He struggled on, and who divined 
His peerless worth of heart and mind, 
35 



IFn ^emorfam. 



Knew of his lofty scorn of wrong — 
His deep contempt for foul deceit 
And vain pretence of excellence 
Whereby the unworthy crawl to power, 
While gifted greatness stands abashed — 
For what he seemed to be, he was. 



36 




Bab^ IRutb. 

OY crowned the happy day 
When Baby Ruth was born ; 
The lark arose with sweeter 
lay 
To greet the welcome morn. 

The sun with purer light 
Burst on a gladdened world ; 

And daylight dawned as dark-brow'd 
night 
Her sable curtains furled. 

The birds in budding bowers 
Their newest anthems sang, 

And all throughout the joyous hours 
The woods with music rang. 

The lily and the rose, 

With every flower that blooms, 
37 



JBabg IRutb. 



Awakening from their soft repose 
Dispensed their sweet perfumes. 

As comes the hour of love 

With dreams of boundless bliss, 

She wandered from the world above 
And came to gladden this. 



38 




Sprino. 

HE maiden Spring has come 
again 
To deck the vernal bowers; 
Her airy footsteps through 
the vale 
Awake the drowsy flowers. 

Along the banks of babbling streams, 
And o'er the upland plain, 

Where'er her joyous presence moves 
She leads her gladdening train. 

The lisping zephyr's morning hymn 

The bees' incessant hum, 
Are Nature's chosen oracles 

That tell us she has come. 

The myriad minstrels in the grove 
Their greeting strains prolong ; 

39 



Spring. 

And all the earth seems resonant 
With universal song. 

The heart of Nature beats again, 

Impetuous with life, 
While from her peaceful breast are gone 

The elements of strife. 

And in my heart I feel once more 

The thrill of early dreams, 
When joyous Youth, the Spring of Life, 

Pursued its favorite themes. 



40 




TTbe peace ot Mlunlsooft. 

N the verdant valleys rich 
with ripening maize, 
Red men built their camp- 
fires in the olden days ; 
But the white invader's unrelenting 

horde 
Drove them from their wigwams with 

the torch and sword, 
Backward to the forests over field and 

fen, 
Far beyond the footprints and the 
haunts of men. 

Thus the peaceful tribesmen, hunted 

like the deer, 
Wandering through the highlands found 

a refuge here ; 
Found their homes ancestral in their 

native hills, 

41 



XLbc ipeace ot llilldmlsooft. 



Heard familiar voices in the running 

rills, 
Learned from Nature's lessons writ on 

vine and tree 
That the Mighty Spirit made them 

brave and free. 

Then the lordly chieftain, Winnisook 

the Great, 
Gathered all his people to this vast es- 
tate, 
And with words of wisdom, said with 

heat and force. 
Like the waters rushing from their 

mountain source : 
" Come and live contented in this safe 

retreat, 
And, your woes forgetting, rest your 

weary feet ; 
Breathe the balmy incense of the fir 

and pine, 

42 



XLbc ipcacc ot IWUdinlaooft. 



Drink from ceaseless fountains Nature's 

purest wine ; 
Hear the happy songsters in the boughs 

above 
Chant their morning anthems and their 

lays of love." 

Then Kasyoota, rising from her mossy 

seat, 
When she heard these love-words falling 

soft and sweet, 
Rushed to kiss her father on his bronzed 

cheek, 
With her arms around him ere he ceased 

to speak. 
" Father, they have called you good and 

great," she said, 
" And thy people followed where your 

footsteps led 
Over marsh and moorland, over track- 
less woods, 

43 



trbe peace ot Mtnnfsooft. 



Through the somber forest's dreary- 
solitudes. 

Where the shadows deepen as the twi- 
light's glow, 

Creeping down the mountain, slowly 
dies below. 

Through the storm of winter, and the 
summer's heat 

Everywhere they've followed with un- 
faltering feet ; 

Swift with loyal fingers there to bend 
the bow. 

When thy voice commanded all to meet 
the foe. 

Now thy peace-words falling like the 
gentle rain. 

Make our hearts submissive to thy will 

again. 
And, forever ceasing from unfruitful 

strife, 
Call us to the pastimes of a nobler life — 

44 



XLbc ipcace of mtnnisooh. 



When the sacred peace-pipe yields the 

pearly smoke, 
And the idle arrow lingers in the oak, 
When the blood-stained hatchet, laid 

aside to rust, 
With the awful war-club buried in the 

dust ; 
When the piercing war-cry nevermore 

alarms. 
And the tolling tocsin calls no more to 

arms. 
When the yell for vengeance evermore 

shall cease, 
And our warriors conquer by the arts of 

peace." 



45 



XTbe^ are not Xost 




HEY are not lost, though 
shoreless seas 
Between us and our loved 
ones lie; 
For, in the land of mysteries, 
All life is immortality. 

They are not lost; the starry spheres 
May vanish from the vault of night; 

But after an eclipse of years 

Reveal their unextinguished light. 

They are not lost; the drops of rain 
That fall and swell the mountain 
streams 
Are gathered by the sun again, 
And sparkle in its golden beams. 
46 



Zbc^ are not Xost. 



They are not lost; the flowers decay, 
And lose their beauty and perfume, 

But come with each returning May 
With brighter tints and ampler bloom. 

They are not lost; though yearning 
eyes 
Invite in vain their swift return 
From other worlds beyond the skies. 
With luring thoughts and hearts that 
burn. 

They are not lost; though for awhile 
By faith alone the void is crossed; 

But oft their angel faces smile. 

And then we know they are not lost. 



47 




1Rttnn^me&e, 

(the golden wedding.) 

HE measure full of peace 
untold, 
That half a century be- 
stows, 
Is richer than a mine of gold, 

And sweeter than the summer rose. 

But if in noble lives complete, 
With deeds that loving ones recall, 

The aims of kindred spirits meet, 
There is the crowning bliss of all. 

And so to-day the smiling hills 

And sunny skies of Runnymede, 
Reflect the radiant joy that fills 
The hearts enchained by thought 
and deed. 

48 



IRunn^meDc. 



Twin agents of a holier trust 
Than wealth can yield or honor 
give; 

When they have crumbled into dust 
With beauty unimpaired will live:- 

Will live, transmitted as the flood 
Its parent source of virtue finds; 

The moral strength of noble blood, 
And purity of chastened minds. 

What union more divine than this 
Can homage claim of loyal heirs? 

What coronet of earthly bliss 

Is so undimmed by time as theirs 



49 



XTbe Bgc 




HIS is the age by sages oft 
foretold, 
When common sense is 
weightier than gold, 
When men and women doff the flim- 
sy gauze 
That pride too often weaves to hide 

their flaws; 
An age that scorns presumptuous 

prigs and flirts, 
And modest virtue gains its just de- 
serts. 
When vulgar quacks, unlicensed by 

the State, 
Unpitied fall and meet a fitting fate. 
When vain pretense of worth that 
some display 

SO 



Before the sun of truth soon melts 
away. 

When gilded fools and jeweled moun- 
tebanks, 

Who ape the gentleman by fantastic 
pranks, 

Are passed by all with unmistaken 
sneer, 

Or left to meet the quiet laugh or jeer. 

This is the age when virtue's higher 

law 
Inspires the public confidence and 

awe, 
When all who dare their vicious tastes 

display 
Are "sent to Coventry" without delay. 
'Tis well that thus is ruled our social 

state 
By laws which none but idiots violate, 
SI 



Sbe Bgc. 

As only fools, the poet aptly said, 
Step in the place where " angels fear to 
tread." 

We greet with reverence now that's 

justly due 
The men and women who are pure and 

true, 
And honor all, despite their lowly lot, 
Who ne'er pretend to be what they are 

not. 
Tis fashion's slave, devoid of charms 

or ^race, 
Spreads poisoned powder o'er her hide- 
ous face. 
Paints her coarse cheeks the color of 

the rose, 
And seems a showman's sign where'er 

she goes. 

52 



XLbc Bge. 

Upon her feet she crowds a pinching 

boot 
With pointed toe and hammer-heel to 

suit, 
Steps as if treading soft on sharpened 

pegs, 
Or else as if the street were paved with 

eggs; 
Upon her hollow head a bonnet flings 
Bedecked with gaudy feathers, beaks 

and wings; 
Dresses the hair she purchased in the 

shop, 
" A la Bernhardt " or a la female 

fop. 
And all she wears to make herself com- 
plete 
Proves her to be a hollow-hearted 

cheat, 

S3 



XLbc age. 

God bless the sex! — our wives and 

mothers too! 
'Tis well monstrosities like her are few. 

This age of common sense as quickly 

scans 
The men of wisdom and the charlatans; 
Sees with unerring eye the good and 

bad, 
What makes the gentleman and what 

the cad. 
It holds that " rank is but the guinea's 

stamp," 
" A man's a man " until he's proved a 

scamp; 
That titled snobs and graceless par- 
venues, 
Who snap their whips and point their 

billiard cues, 

54 



^bc age. 

Or twirl their canes and twist their Hght 

moustache, 
Have less of brains to recommend than 

cash; 
That, all despite nobility of birth, 
A man is measured only by his worth; 
That circumstance may make a sudden 

name, 
And place it foremost on the scroll of 

Fame. 

'Tis good and grand to live in such an 

age— 
The brightest era on our history's 

page; 
An age of peace with liberty combined. 
The growth of thought — the progress 

of the mind. 
For what is life if what we prize the 

most 

55 



XLbc Bflc. 

Proves but a vision or an empty boast? 

And what is earth if Error's shrouding 
pall 

Hangs like a darkening shadow over 
all— 

If tyrant Wrong usurped the place of 
Right 

And ruled supreme by his despotic 
might; 

If Vice, the monster, all the triumphs 
scored. 

And Virtue failed to gain a just re- 
ward? 



56 




Xines Mrftten in an album. 

H E simplest words that 
sometimes fall 
Unnoticed from the lip or 
pen, 
In after years we oft recall, 
And treasure in our hearts again. 

So here some trifling thought or word, 
Recorded by a passing friend, 

May, like the notes of some sweet bird, 
With all thy fondest memories blend 



57 




Hn /iDemoriam.— lb. /ID. X. 

jANY the paths that lead to 
glory's gate, 
But few there be who heed 
the humble way 
Our brother trod. Not fortune's proud 
estate 
Was his, nor honor's gilded crown; 
Nor vain pretence of worth that men 
display 
Who wear the flimsy garb of false re- 
nown. 

He loved with unseen hand to scatter 
wide 
The blessed boons that charity be- 
stows ; 
And oft when cold and prouder hearts 
denied 

58 



■ffn ^cmorfam— f). ^. X. 



The paltry pittance craved, he yielded 
more, 
With equal willingness to friends and 
foes; 
And none returned with curses to his 
door. 

He lived to see his country disen- 
thralled — 
The long-returning answer to his 
prayers — 
To see the olive-bearing dove recalled, 
With new-born harbingers of hope 
for all; 
Then on his God he cast his earthly 
cares 
And calmly waited for the welcome 
call. 



59 




CANNOT feel that thou art 
dead 
Dear angel of my life and 
love, 
But only for a season fled, 

To roam the fairer fields above. 

I wait, and watch, and hope, and pray, 
And quell the fears that give me pain, 

Nor think, despite thy long delay, 
That thou wilt never come again. 

From boyhood ever at my side, 
To guard me 'mid its scenes of strife; 

Thou hast become my angel guide, 
To lead me through the maze of life. 

When yielding to the tempter's sway, 
That oft my wayward heart beguiles, 
60 



Ns's Sngel (BuiDe. 



•' Resist," I hear thee softly say, 
And see thy sweet reproving smiles. 

Beyond that dark futurity 
That must enshroud my manhood's 
years, 
I strive to look, but cannot see, 

Because my eyes are dimmed with 
tears. 

Yet softly o'er my fevered brow, 
Thy loving kisses gently thrill, 

And though I cannot see thee now, 
I feel thy presence with me still. 



6i 




SbeMore tbe flower IT Gave Iber. 

HE wore the flower I gave 
her 

Upon her sinless breast, 
An emblem of that peace 
divine, 
Her youthful soul has blest ; 
No other form of beauty 

From Nature's perfect mould 
Could in such fitting language 
Her purity unfold. 

She wore the flower I gave her 
That peaceful evening hour. 

And all her inward beauty seemed 
Transfigured in that flower, 

While every early dream of love 
That youthful fancy weaves, 
62 



Sbe Wiotc tbc jflower 11 ©ave 1ber. 

And all the thoughts her bosom move 
Seemed folded in its leaves. 

She wore the flower I gave her ; 

Oh ! may she ever wear 
That flower of fadeless beauty 

That time can ne'er impair : 
When death at last shall sever 

Life's frail and silvered cord, 
May she thus bloom forever 

In the garden of the Lord. 



63 



Ube Wintry Ba^s Hre Coining. 




IHE wintry days are coming, 
And the wintry winds are 
humming 

Sad refrains ; 



For another year has perished, 
And of Nature's charms we cherished 
Naught remains. 

Many forms we loved have vanished. 
Many hopes and aims are banished 

From our hearts ; 
But some blessings still are left us — 
Of which time has not bereft us — 

God imparts. 

Hopes of joy in coming ages 
Which the present pain assuages 
Give us cheer ; 
64 



Zbc TKflintrs 2)a^0 Bre Coming. 

As the world looks bright before us, 
And the clouds that linger o'er us 
Disappear. 



65 




ilOULD we unveil to mortal 
gaze 
Each recess of the heart, 
And deeply probe the 
bleeding wounds 
Of grief's relentless dart ; 

Could we but see behind the cloud, 
That glooms each cherished dream, 

Perchance the inward glance would 
prove 
We're seldom wnat we seem. 

Could we but feel another's woe, 
And note the heart-drawn sighs, 

Or count the unseen tears that flow 
From joyful-seeming eyes; 
66 



Cbc iJlDDcn Ibeart. 



Could we disclose each buried hope, 

Entombed within the soul, 
Or tell of brightest visions passed 

Beyond this life's control; 

Could we unfold each inner life, 

And read its mystic scroll, 
Whereon is written all that time 

Has stamped upon the soul; 

Then we might learn to cheer and 
bless 

Each heavy-laden one, 
And know that we, in doing this, 

An angel's work have done. 



67 




N Time's untiring pinions 
The Summer hours are 
borne ; 
And Nature's vast dominions 
Await the Autumn's dawn. 

When o'er the regal mountains 
The Oreads lead their throngs, 

And all the forest fountains 
Will sing their parting songs. 

But here, while Summer lingers 
Untouched by Winter's cold, 

What though its frosty fingers 
Tinge all the leaves with gold, 

A genial glow of mildness 
Will thrall the highland air, 
68 



Bt minnfsooft. 



And through the mountain wildness 
A balmy fragrance bear. 

So here we love to linger, 

And hear the babbling brook 

Call to each feathered singer, 
" Come back to Winnisook !" 



69 




HE queen of night is on her 
throne, 

Surrounded by her starry 
band ; 
Unrivalled beauty fills the land, 
And over all a charm is thrown 

My heart can scarce withstand. 

And yet amid these soothing scenes. 
That to my spirits yield a balm, 
And every inward tumult calm, 

A nameless longing intervenes 
To mar the mystic charm. 

I hear the ocean's deep-toned voice, 
And sweeter notes of music near, 
That fall upon the listening ear ; 
70 



tTo As mite. 



But still my heart can scarce rejoice, 
Because thou art not here. 

Few are the pleasures unalloyed, 

With some unwelcome present ill, 
That comes the glowing heart to 
chill ; 

So in my breast there is a void, 
Thy smile alone can fill. 



71 




Ube IReturn, 

ULL-ARM'D with garnered 
treasures 
Of poetry and art, 
We come with added pleas- 
ures 
To charm the mind and heart. 

The last word that was spoken 

Of farewell or regret, 
Like love's enduring token, 

'T were fatal to forget. 

As o'er the swelling ocean 
The links of thought unite, 

A love-inspired emotion 

Cements our hearts to-night. 

But here is home entrancing, 
With spells thatbeautv lends, 

72 



Zbc IReturn. 



The joyous hours enhancing, 
By smiles of olden friends. 

The gladdening sounds of 
greeting 

Make bright this sweet return, 
And eyes familiar meeting 

With glowing welcome burn. 



73 




Xines Bccompan^ino a BirtbDa^ 
present. 

TRIFLING gift to thee I 
send, 
This happy day, my little 
friend ; 

And trust that in thy childhood's days 
Thy course may be in " Wisdom's 

ways" — 
That path the true and holy trod 
Who sought the Paradise of God. 
May God, the children's friend and 

guide. 
Lead thee through life on Virtue's side, 
And keep thy heart from guile and sin — 
From foes without and foes within. 
Strive e'er to win the love of each 
By kindly act and thoughtful speech, 
74 



Xfnce accompanising a JBirtbDa^ present. 

And prove to all that Woman's might 
Is greatest when she honors Right. 
Then will thy life be pure and good 
And crowned with noble womanhood. 



75 



Ik 




HEY are not always dead 
who die 

Nor living all who live ; 
For life's best years may 
oft deny 
What death alone can give. 

If living for ourselves alone 
We spend our fleeing years, 

'Twere better that our hearts were stone, 
Our eyes undimmed by tears. 

The gracious Author of our race. 
To make His image known, 

The peerless beauty of His face 
Impressed upon our own. 

Thus by His clearly seen design, 
The feeblest mind discerns , 
76 



% 



Zbc "QlnOsing. 



It was the quenchless spark divine 
That lit the lamp that burns. 

The richest ore, by Nature's plan, 
Lies deepest 'neath the sod , 

And worth unrecognized by man. 
Is treasured most by God. 

So, if in living we would live. 

And not in dying die, 
To others we must freely give 

Our love and sympathy. 

Must yield to mercy's sweet control, 
Then follow where she leads , 

And have a Jesus in the soul 
As well as in our creeds. 



77 




TKIloman's %ovc. 

JHEN Sappho touched her 
tuneful lyre, 
And sang inspired of wo- 
man's love, 
She filled the Grecian heart with fire 
Promethean — from above. 

And ever since that happy day 
The poet's pen and painter's art, 

Have each in its divinest way 

Portrayed the worship of her heart. 



78 




Zbc pbantom» 

HE hoar-frost fringed the 
chancel pane, 
Dark shadows hung upon 
the wall ; 

No sounds were heard but creaking 
vane 
And distant murmuring waterfall. 

A phantom stalked the narrow aisle, 
Moved up and down the winding stair; 

And, as it passed me, seemed to smile 
In welcome of my presence there. 

By some mysterious power impelled 
I sought with haste the outer door ; 

Where viewless hands a scroll upheld. 
Whereon was written " Nevermore." 

79 



XLbc ipbantoni. 



From grave to grave the moonbeams 
glanced, 

And in their course the vision bore ; 
While every step that I advanced 

I saw the scroll and "nevermore." 

At length the deepening shadows fell 
Where sleep the long-forgotten dead , 

But o'er my heart with mystic spell 
There hangs a strange and nameless 
dread. 



80 




Zbc JBlaser. 

ING PLUTO came forth from 

his fiery domains, 
With a flame in his mouth, 
and a flash from his eye; 
And I heard the dull clank of his ada- 
mant chains. 
As the blast of the scorching sirocco 
passed by. 

The leaves on the trees and the flowers 
in the field, 
And even the bowers where so oft I've 
reclined, 
No longer their shade and sweet fra- 
grance could yield, 
For death came apace with the wither- 
ing wind, 

8i 



The brook in the vale that once rippled 
and danced, 
To the music of Nature's enchanting 
refrains, 
Fled on to the sea as King Pluto ad- 
vanced. 
But whispered a vow to return — with 
the rains. 

The birds in the branches, the bees in 
the hive, 
And even the ant in her newly-made 
cell. 
Were fanning their neighbors to keep 
them alive, 
As the gasping grasshoppers plunged 
into the well. 



82 



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